Child&#39;s combination storage chest and easel



June 1, 1965 L. BERGSTEIN 3,186,784

CHILD'S COMBINATION STORAGE CHEST AND EASEL Filed May 6, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INV R [MN/m0 m/ Arfg E June 1, 1965 1.. BERGSTEIN 3,186,784

CHILD'S COMBINATION STORAGE CHEST AND EASEL Filed May 6, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1 NVEN TOR. 1 50mm fimesrm/ 15 m, h. w

United States Patent 3,186,784 CHILDS COD/BINATION STORAGE CHEST AND EASEL Leonard Bergstein, 70 Stephan Marc Lane, New Hyde Park, N.Y. Filed May 6, 1963, Ser. No. 278,306 2 Claims. (Cl. 312-316) This invention relates to a new and useful item of juvenile furniture. In particular, it relates to a combination storage chest and easel.

It is one of the objects of the invention to provide a storage chest which is adapted for assembly with another piece of furniture without in any way destroying the decorative continuity or style of the piece of furniture with which it is combined. Specifically, the storage chest herein is illustrated in conjunction with a chest of drawers which has a well to accommodate the storage chest when not in use.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a mobile storage chest with a normally open rear access thereto so that a child may easily roll the chest from place-to-place and take objects therefrom or place objects into the chest without opening the lid or disturbing the position of the lid when in use as an easel.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a combination storage chest and easel in which a rear access opening in the chest constitutes a well to accommodate the knees of a child while the child is seated and working at the easel.

In brief, the invention consists in a generally rectangular storage chest having a bottom wall, a front wall, a partial rear wall, a pair of end walls and a lid hinged to the top of the chest at points adjacent its rear wall. A lid-supporting element is pivoted to the underside of the lid at a point spaced inwardly of an edge thereof, whereby the lid-supporting element is disposed within the chest when the lid is closed. Means is carried by the inner face of one of the chest walls for engaging and supporting the lid-supporting element in any one of a plurality of elevations whereby the lid is supported in tilted position adapting the same for use as an easel. The chest is supported by casters adjacent the corners of its bottom wall adapting the chest for free movement on a supporting surface.

These and other objects, advantages and features of the invention will become apparent as the following description is read in light of the drawings, wherein like reference numerals indicate like parts, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the storage chest shown in conjunction with a chest of drawers with which it may be used;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the storage chest with the lid thereof opened into a slanted position to serve as an easel, part of the front wall of the chest being broken away to show underlying structure;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view similar to that of FIG. 2, taken, however, from the rear of the storage chest;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged exploded view showing the elements comprising one of the lid pivots; and

FIG. 5 is a view showing the details of a pivot stud anchoring nut and lock washer.

As illustrated, the storage chest is generally rectangular in form, its principal parts being a bottom wall 10, a front wall 12, a rear wall 14, a pair of end walls 16 and 18 and a lid 20. The lid 20 is hinged to the top of the chest at points adjacent the rear wall. The entire structure is supported on a plurality of casters 22 which adapts the chest to free movement on a supporting surface.

The cover 20 is formed flush with the outer faces of the end walls 16 and 18. The front wall 12, however,

3,l8fi,784 Patented June 1, 1965 Ice extends laterally beyond the outer faces of the end walls. This construction adapts the chest for assembly with another piece of furniture such as a chest of drawers 24 which is formed with a storage chest receiving well 26 between its pedestals 28 and 30. The storage chest receiving well 26 is of sufiicient size to receive the chest snugly when it is rolled into the well. When so assem bled with the chest of drawers, the end walls 16 and 18 of the storage chest, will be substantially in contact with the confronting faces of the pedestals 28 and 30 and the extending lateral ends of the front wall 12 of the storage chest will abut the front edges of the pedestals 28 and 30 such that the front wall 12 of the storage chest, in effect, constitutes a continuation of the two bottom drawers 32 and 34 of the chest of drawers. In this connection, it should be noted that the front wall 12 of the storage chest is in the form of a pair of panels 12a and 12b which are the same width as the drawers 32'and 34 of the chest of drawers, the panels 12a and 1212 being so spaced from each other as to form an apparent continuation of the front faces of the drawers 32 and 34.

In order to avoid projections at the end walls 16 and 18 which might damage the companion piece of furniture during assembly thereof or removal there from, the construction utilizes a blind pivot assembly constituting the means by which the lid 20 is hinged to the storage chest. The details of these assemblies are illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5. Each of the end walls 16 and 18 has formed therein a nut socket 36, one of which is shown in FIG. 4. Those sockets extend into the end walls from their inner faces at a point near the upper rear corner of the end walls. Each socket is just deep enough to accommodate a pivot stud anchoring nut 38 which is braised or welded to a lock washer 40. The lock washer 40 has a plurality of anchoring teeth 42 formed about its circumference. The pivot stud anchoring nut 38 is fitted into the nut socket 36 and the lock washer 40 is forced into contact with the inner face of the end wall such that the teeth 42 are imbedded in the end wall to hold the pivot stud anchoring nut and the lock washer against rotation.

As best shown in FIG. 2, the lid 20 has a depending annular flange consisting of a front rail 44, a rear rail 46 and a pair of end rails 48 and 50. These rails are inset from the respective edges of the lid 20 far enough to permit the flange structure to seat within the chest when the cover is closed. The end rails 48 and 50 are apertured at their rear ends to receive a bushing 52, as shown in FIG. 4. A pivot stud 54 is then inserted through the bushing 52 and screwed into the pivot stud anchoring nut 38 at each of the pivot points. The studs so disposed will comprise a bearing at each end of the lid 20 on which the lid may turn. A pair of washers 56 and 58 are preferably disposed about the pivot studs 54 at opposite ends of the bushings 52.

A lid supporting element 60 is pivoted to the underside of the lid 20 at a point spaced inwardly of the front edge of the cover. This permits the lid supporting element 60 to drop into the storage chest when the cover is closed. As shown in FIG. 2, the lid supporting element is in the form of a U-shaped bail having a pair of parallel legs 62 and 64 spaced by the bight 66. The free end of the legs 62 and 64 is turned outwardly to engage a pair of spaced bail pivots 68 and 70 which may be in the form of eye screws.

Attached to the inner face of the storage chest is a suitable means 72 for engaging and supporting the bail 60 in any one of a plurality of elevations whereby the lid 20 is supported in open, tilted position adapting the of. the rack. The rack may be formed generally in the shape of a U such that it provides a pair of inwardly projecting flanges 76 spaced from each other by an attaching wall 78 which isflat to adapt it for attachment to the inner face of the front wall. 12. by means of screwsv 80; The bail supporting teeth 74 are formed in the free edges of the flanges 76. i 9

One of the important features of the storage chest residesin the structure of the rear wall 1-4'. The rear wall 14 extends upwardly from the bottom wall- 10 for a distance not substantially more than one-half the height of .the storage chest, whereby a rear access opening 82 is provided to the interiorof the chest. The rear. access opening '82 permits access to the interior of" the chest without disturbing the position of the lid120. It also encourages the use of the chest by avoiding the necessity of opening the cover eachtime an article is to be'placed into or taken out of the chest. Furthermore, the rear access opening 82 serves as a ,well to accommodate the knees of a child seated thereat while employing the lid as an easel.

The interior of the chest is preferably divided into a plurality of compartments 84 into which, articles may be segregated into categories. v

From the foregoing it can be seen that the combinat-ion storage chest and easel herein not only serves its dual functions, but it also servesv these functions in a veryefficient manner. Moreover, the fact that the chest is mobile permits movement of the chest to the best. areas of illumination when working at the easel. The mobile characteristicof the chest encourages a child to keep its room neat and orderly by the ease with which'toys and other objects may be returned to the chest. A child will readily roll the chest from place-to-place to collect its toys, whereas it may resist the discipline ofcarrying toys to a chest which may be some yards remote. more, the fact that the chesthas a normally open rear access is also an encouragement to the child to return toys and the like to the chest because it renders unnecessary the repeated operation of the lid for this purpose. The rear opening also permits the child to obtain crayons, pencils, paper, books and the like from within the chest while seated at the easel thus making it unnecessary to get up and go to the front of thechest each time a different object is desired. The fact that the storage chest is specifically designed for intimate assembly with another piece of furniture adds'to its utility by a savingin space and by assuring that it is alwaysinits intended place when not. in use. 7

While the novel features of the invention have been illustrated and described in connection with a specific. embodiment of the invention, it is believed that this embodiment will enable others skilled in the. art, to apply the principles of the invention in forms departing from the exemplary embodiment herein, and such departures are contemplated by the claims.

I claim: a

1. A generally rectangular storage chest having a bottom wall, a front wall, a rear wall, and a pair of end Walls, said rear wall extending upwardly from said bottom wall for a distance not substantially. more than one-half the height of said chest whereby rear access is provided to the interior of said chest, a" lid hinged to each of said end walls by a hinge structure comprising pivot' studs anchored within the thickness of said endwalls whereby an unbroken facial surface of said end walls is maintained, a bail for supporting said lid, said bail being pivoted to the underside of said lid at a point spaced inwardly of an edge thereof whereby said bail is disposed within said chest when said lid is closed, a vertically disposed rack carried by the. inner face of said front wall for engaging and supporting said bail in any one of a plurality of elevations whereby said lid is supported in a tilted position adapting the same for use as an easel, and casters adjacent'the corners of said bottom wall adapting said chest for free movement on a supporting surface.

2. 'A generally rectangular storage, chest having a bottom wall, a front wall, a rear wall, and a pair of end walls, said rear wall extending upwardly from said bottom wall for a distance not substantially more than one-half the height of said chest whereby rear access is provided Furtherto the interior of saidchest, a lid hinged to each of said end walls, said lid being flush with the outer face of said walls when closed thereupon, a hinge structure compris ing pivot studs anchored within the thickness of said end walls whereby an unbroken facial surface of said end walls is maintained, said lid including a downwardly depending flange located at each end thereof at points immediately within said end walls, each of said pivot studs extending through the flange adjacent thereto, a bail for supporting said lid, said bail being pivoted to the underside of said lid at a point spaced inwardly of an edge thereof whereby said bail is disposed within said chest when said lid is closed, said front wall extending beyond the outer faces of said end'walls, and a vertically disposed rack carried by the inner face of said front wall for engaging and supporting said bail in anyone of a plurality of elevations whereby said lid is supported in a tilted position adapting same for use as an easel, and casters adjacent the corners of said bottomwall adapting said chest for free movement on a supporting surface.

FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Examiner. 

1. A GENERALLY RECTANGULAR STORAGE CHEST HAVING A BOTTOM WALL, A FRONT WALL, A REAR WALL, AND A PAIR OF END WALLS, SAID REAR WALL EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM SAID BOTTOM WALL FOR A DISTANCE NOT SUBSTANTIALLY MORE THAN ONE-HALF THE HEIGHT OF SAID CHEST WHEREBY REAR ACCESS IS PROVIDED TO THE INTERIOR OF SAID CHEST, A LID HINGED TO EACH OF SAID END WALLS BY A HINGE STRUCTURE COMPRISING PIVOT STUDS ANCHORED WITHIN THE THICKNESS OF SAID END WALLS WHEREBY AND UNBROKEN FACIAL SURFACE OF SAID END WALLS IS MAINTAINED, A BAIL FOR SUPPORTING SAID LID, SAID BAIL BEING PIVOTED TO THE UNDERSIDE OF SAID LID AT A POINT SPACED INWARDLY OF AN EDGE THEREOF WHEREBY SAID BAIL IS DISPOSED WITHIN SAID CHEST WHEN SAID LID IS CLOSED A VERTICALLY DISPOSED RACK CARRIED BY THE INNER FACE OF SAID FRONT WALL FOR ENGAGING AND SUPPORTING SAID BAIL IN ANY ONE OF A PLU- 